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Tuesday, April 3, 2012

A (Harbor) Grand 'Ole Time

We just returned from a fun weekend getaway to New Buffalo, Michigan - and thanks to Mel, I have a great hotel to recommend. Near the Lake Michigan shore, and right on the New Buffalo harbor, it is the Harbor Grand. It is clean, comfortable, family-friendly and has plenty of amenities to please guests.

New Buffalo itself is a less-than two hour drive from the NW suburbs of Chicago, making it an ideal choice for us. We went during spring break, which is off-season. Despite that and some chilly temperatures, we found enough to keep ourselves occupied (more to come about my finds in future blog posts).

I reserved a Village View Suite, which comprised a shower spa bathroom (2 shower heads!), a living room area (w/ pull-out bed for my daughter) and a bedroom with king-size bed. Both the bedroom and living room area had sizable TVs - very nice for tired parents wanting to unwind but not wanting to watch a kid show. Guests can avail themselves of comp DVD rentals (about 130 choices in the library) - again helpful in entertaining kids. I myself finally got to see Black Swan.

Also included is a free continental breakfast. Nothing elaborate in the choices, but the fruit was fresh, the coffee was hot and the convenience was much appreciated. You choose the delivery time and the method (knock on door, a call, or basket left at your door). There is an indoor pool and a small fitness room. I took the opportunity to book a massage ($75/hour), which was nice. If you get a craving for something sweet, you can call the front desk at any time of day, or night, to order a pint of Ben & Jerry's. The front desk also sells Vosges Haut chocolate bars.

We ate one night at the hotel's restaurant, Terrace Room, which offers an Italian menu. While the service was good, my husband and I were disappointed in the food - particularly at their prices - and probably wouldn't return.

More enjoyable was, perhaps, the best perk the hotel offers: evening s'mores around the Terrace Room's firepit. (you can kind of see it in the above photo). Great view of the harbor, blankets available to ward off chills, and a complimentary s'mores kit. Kids loved toasting the marshmallows. So did I. What a fun way to end the day! You can check out the hotel at www.harborgrand.com.